New Litter's and a Hard decision.

Well I shall start at the beginning, the 28th Miss Sunburn kindled a litter of Four Red's on looking them over I noticed one normal sized kit, one smaller kit now I know to be a runt and two really tiny ones that now i know are peanuts. I was excited for her to finally kindle because last time i bred her we got nothing. So Off i went to work, on coming back I saw that Miss Strawberry had kindled as well Three Reds and she too had one normal and two peanuts. Really bummed at this moment i knew that I should just be thankful for live kits and not DOA's like i have had in my previous litter's.

Yesterday night I found Berry's two peanuts with missing back limbs, she was starting to kill them because she knew they were not normal. Still alive I had my husband put them down humanely, and I put Sun's strongest kit up with Berry so that just maybe the others would have a chance.

Well was I wrong. Because the biggest kit was missing, Sun fed the Runt and completely ignored the two peanuts which I figured. Woke up this morning to find them all cold, one Peanut dead, the other close, and the run cold but still strong. I got the two surviving warm and transferred them to Berry to care for, but of course being the very doting mother she is, accepted the runt but did not accept the remaining peanut and was going to  kill it, so Now came the hard decision!

People may find this funny, I'm a hunter in training as my husband will call me, as of to this day I have killed one animal. And here I had in front of me a Kit that needed to be put down, I knew as a responsible rabbit breeder I need to do the deed myself and stop passing it off to my husband.

So I did it and knowing that it needed to be done I feel okay with that decision. In order to save litters I need to learn to cull out the weak and save the strong.

I'll update the three remaining after The new year.

Here's to 2012 a new year!

Goals for 2012

My biggest goal is to build on to my herd and get some strong lines going, I'd really like to get some of my own home grown's out on the show tables. Which brings me to another goal to attend more show's, this is so important to me, and I pray my schedule can intertwine well with the show season. We will be moving within the next couple months and I think I may build some cages, I saw some really awesome idea's and I think I can get my father or my crafty husband to build them. Just need to figure out how to get a tray built in because I'm really like the tray's. I have done the let it drop on the ground and sweep it up and it's just messy to me, the tray's demand my attention to clean them, so I don't put it off ever.

Another big goal is to obtain a Red buck, my husband and I will eventually save up enough for a real nice foundation buck, but we are just awaiting the right one to catch our eye. My castor's will come first, once we get a nice litter from lime and then hopefully Lacey we can really kick off with them.

Speaking of Lime she is due on Thursday so i am praying she delivers in her nest box. She will be well watched and I'm hopeful I'll catch her in time to make sure she is delivering in the right location.

I'm sure I'll come up with more Goals, but I really just want to continue to build on to my rabbitry and bring in some show winners!

Waiting on the last of the litters for 2011!

Brought my three hopefully pregnant Doe's into our attached garage where we can keep a better eye on them. With my work schedule, I have been extremely busy since I travel to work in the City. Hoping we have better luck with Lime who is due on the 22nd. We are rebuilding our nest box, making is more secure and more enticing for her to want to give birth in the box instead of the wire, so let's cross our fingers!

I'm realizing how much I really hate winter, water's are freezing now which really sucks. Rabbit's don't seem to mind the coldness, and the barn has been staying a degree warmer then outside, but still cold enough that the waters are freezing.

Sunburn due the 28th

Not much to report, Baby ( Alex's daughter) is staying nice and small which please's me. Looking forward to taking her to show's in the spring. She will be eight weeks old on Friday. Crazy to think how fast she grew. Now let's have more new babies so I have an actual show team for 2012!

Limerick due the 22nd

Strawberry due the 28th.